F1 News: Lewis Hamilton says he changed everything at Ferrari - 'They weren't ready for it'

Lewis Hamilton

Lewis Hamilton says he changed everything at Ferrari - 'They weren't ready for it'

This is a different Scuderia now

Graham Shaw Consultant Editor

Digital sports specialist running global brands for 30 years

Saturday 5 September 2026 08:30

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Lewis Hamilton has spoken in depth about the change he has implemented at Ferrari since joining the iconic F1 team in early 2025.

This is a very different Scuderia which is preparing for its biggest weekend of the year, the home Italian Grand Prix at Monza. Twelve months is a long time in motorsport.

A year ago Hamilton was struggling to adapt to life with the Italian giants after a glorious run with Mercedes which had brought him six championships.

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Now the fruits of his labours are starting to pay off - he shares second place in the Drivers' championship standings with George Russell and now has his first Grand Prix win in red after a brilliant success at Barcelona in June.

The British superstar came to Monza last season in the midst of a dreadful first season driving for Ferrari. He was clearly down and frustrated.

Now though, the changes he has lobbied for and implemented are starting to pay off.

F1 HEADLINES: Lewis Hamilton stuns at Monza as Leclerc confirms Ferrari exit talks

Change at Ferrari: 'The idea made them nervous'

Speaking to Italian newspaper La Repubblica, he revealed that his team were not ready for the transformation he wanted to bring about.

"It takes a lot for the team to understand what you want. It takes months and months and months to transform the flow of the machine. It takes time and also the right mindset.

"I had asked for changes last season, but the team didn't want to make too many. The idea made them nervous. They weren't ready for the new features; they'd never introduced them before.

Lewis Hamilton says Ferrari were nervous of change.

"Changing just one element isn't enough; you have to work on all of them together."

'Little by little', Hamilton changed everything

Hamilton knew what needed to be done, and set about a major programme of changes in Maranello.

"Little by little, I changed everything: brakes, chassis components, suspension, seat position, steering configuration. Using all these components, combined with improved engineering, dynamics, and communication, made the difference."

Some of the changes Hamilton brought about even had his team-mate Charles Leclerc following suit, with Lewis explaining: "Yes, it came from my side, which allows us to move the boat in the same direction".

This is a different Ferrari now

The difference in Ferrari and Hamilton from Monza 2025 is palpable, with the driver himself admitting: "I'm in a better position than last year. I feel more connected to the team, the fans know me better and understand me. I hope they appreciate the work I've done in the last year and a half."

A victory this weekend would be monumental for Hamilton in his bid to drive Ferrari back to the summit of the sport. But he understands it is just one piece in the F1 jigsaw.

"We exist to win, and our goal is to push the car to its limits, but to do that, you have to be sure you don't fall beyond that limit.

"Achieving this requires many pieces of the puzzle in the right place."